In a typical wafer fabrication process device defects are frequently caused by metal particulates produced during the patterning of the metal layers and the interlevel dielectric layers. Particulates are produced from a variety of sources but an especially troublesome source is the edge of the wafer where the edge of a completed metal layer may be exposed during subsequent processing. The problem is exacerbated by the conventional edge bead removal procedure which exposes prior metal levels and allows edge debris from those prior metal levels to deposit on the wafer during fabrication. This metal edge debris causes shorts in the integrated circuit being formed. These shorts are detected after processing of the integrated circuit is completed and much of the cost of processing these defective devices is wasted.